8 Most Overrated Literary Classics (& The Underrated Books To Read Instead)

There are certain literary classics that it feels almost sacrilege to criticize. However, behind closed doors, many readers quietly agree that these iconic books aren’t actually that good. They’re overrated and survive on their reputation more than they do on their quality, with their cultural importance sometimes overshadowing the experience of actually reading them.

From Charles Dickens to Mary Shelley to Jane Austen, many classic authors have books that aren’t necessarily bad, they’re just not the pinnacles of storytelling their reputation makes them out to be. Fortunately, in the years since these overrated literary classics were written, much better alternatives arrived that hit the same themes and ideas in more engaging and entertaining ways.

Moby-Dick By Herman Melville (1851)

The Sea-Wolf Delivers The Same Ideas In A Much Tighter Package

Moby-Dick is unquestionably one of the most influential novels in American literature, but its reputation can make the actual reading experience seem more rewarding than it is. Herman Melville's sprawling story about Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of the white whale contains brilliant passages, memorable symbolism, and fascinating ideas about humanity's relationship with nature. Unfortunately, it is also famously digressive. Long stretches devoted to whaling terminology, classifications, and philosophical observations overwhelm the central narrative.

The Sea-Wolf by fellow 19th-century American author Jack London delivers many of the same ingredients in a much more focused package. Its protagonist, Humphrey van Weyden, finds himself aboard a sealing schooner commanded by the brutal and intellectually formidable Wolf Larsen. Like Ahab, Larsen is an imposing figure whose worldview shapes the entire story, but London's 1904 novel keeps its philosophical ideas embedded within an urgent survival narrative. The Sea-Wolf explores power, violence, morality, and humanity's relationship with the natural world without sacrificing momentum. It is arguably the better choice for readers who want Melville's themes without Melville's detours.

Animal Farm By George Orwell (1945)

Watership Down Trumps This Classic In Both Complexity And Use Of Talking Animals

1945's Animal Farm has become one of the most recognizable political novels ever written, and its allegory of the Russian Revolution and Stalinism remains remarkably clear. That clarity is also part of its limitation. George Orwell's novella is deliberately straightforward, with virtually every major animal representing a recognizable political figure, institution, or social group. The result is effective as political satire, but its characters can feel more like symbols than fully developed individuals. Its reputation as a profound examination of political corruption can consequently make the relatively simple narrative seem more complex than it actually is.

Released in 1972, Watership Down by Richard Adams offers a more expansive and emotionally complex alternative. Like Animal Farm, it uses animals to examine politics, hierarchy, violence, leadership, freedom, and the dangers of authoritarianism, but its rabbits are not simply one-to-one representations of historical figures. Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and the other rabbits have distinct personalities that aren’t overshadowed by the book's exploration of competing ideas about power and survival. Despite being marketed as a children's fantasy novel, Watership Down is longer, darker, and more ambitious, making it perfect for anyone who enjoyed the ideas behind Animal Farm but wanted a richer story.

Atlas Shrugged By Ayn Rand (1957)

Parable Of The Sower Delivers The Same Political Exploration Without The Tiresome Hand-Holding

Placing the divisive ideology behind it aside for a moment, Atlas Shrugged is an incredibly influential work of political fiction, but its reputation obscures some substantial literary weaknesses. The story presents an uncompromising vision of individualism, capitalism, and personal responsibility, but its characters frequently function as vehicles for Ayn Rand's ideological arguments. The novel's enormous length also gives those arguments considerable room to repeat themselves. Rather than allowing its themes to emerge naturally from the characters and circumstances, Atlas Shrugged often stops its narrative to explain exactly what readers are supposed to think.

Anyone who wants something similarly deep without Rand’s frustrating writing style should check out Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower. The 1993 post-apocalyptic novel explores individualism, capitalism, social collapse, and personal responsibility with considerably greater nuance. Set in a near-future America devastated by climate change, the novel follows Lauren Olamina as she develops a new philosophy to fit the changed world. Unlike Rand, Butler does not reduce her characters to ideological mouthpieces. Instead, Lauren's beliefs evolve in response to the world around her. Parable of the Sower consequently tackles many of the same questions as Atlas Shrugged while presenting a more complicated and human examination of what freedom, responsibility, and rebuilding society actually mean.

The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger (1951)

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Does Coming-Of-Age Alienation Much More Convincingly

The Catcher in the Rye has become almost synonymous with teenage alienation, but its status as a notorious “banned book” has led to a belief that it’s more universally profound than it actually is. J.D. Salinger's depiction of adolescent frustration remains influential, but narrator Holden Caulfield's relentless cynicism can also make the novel feel repetitive. Caulfield’s refusal to engage meaningfully with the people around him means he becomes more and more unlikable with each page. For some modern readers, that famous alienation doesn't feel insightful but simply exhausting.

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, on the other hand, provides a more emotionally expansive coming-of-age story. Like Holden, Wallflower's central character Charlie is an outsider trying to understand the complicated transition into adulthood. However, Charlie's relationships with Sam and Patrick allow the 1999 novel to explore how connections with others can gradually change self-understanding, causing his perspective to evolve rather than remaining trapped in a cycle of observation and resentment. The Perks of Being a Wallflower captures the alienation that made The Catcher in the Rye important, but manages to do so with a protagonist readers actually want to succeed.

Frankenstein By Mary Shelley (1818)

The Island of Doctor Moreau Is A Much Sharper 19th-Century Body Horror

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is rightly regarded as a foundational work of sci-fi and horror, but its enormous reputation can create expectations that the novel itself does not always meet. Mary Shelley's ideas are extraordinary, particularly her examination of scientific ambition and the consequences of creating life. However, Frankenstein’s structure can feel cumbersome, and the framing narratives repeatedly interrupt the central story. The Monster is also more articulate and philosophically inclined than many adaptations suggest, which can surprise readers expecting a conventional horror narrative. Its influence is undeniable, but it's not all it's cracked up to be as a reading experience.

Released towards the end of the same century, H.G. Wells' 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau makes a similarly unsettling examination of science and humanity, but is a much more entertaining read. When Edward Prendick becomes stranded on a mysterious island, he discovers Doctor Moreau's horrifying experiments involving the transformation of animals into human-like creatures. Like Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau asks whether scientific progress should be pursued simply because it is possible. However, H.G. Wells weaves these ideas into an urgent thriller, making its disturbing concepts and philosophical questions part of a real page-turner rather than a dense text that's difficult at points to decipher.

Wuthering Heights By Emily Brontë (1847)

Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca Delivers The Same Suspense With Much More Clarity

Wuthering Heights is often celebrated as one of literature's greatest romances, though this reputation is misleading. Emily Brontë's novel is certainly passionate, but its central relationships are defined by cruelty, obsession, revenge, and emotional destruction. Its influence is enormous, but its place as one of the most iconic romances ever put to page does not necessarily match the unpleasant reality of its characters. Many readers finish Wuthering Heights unsure if they’ve just read a tragic love story or a gothic thriller.

Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca provides a more accessible alternative for readers drawn to the gothic atmosphere and psychological intensity of Wuthering Heights. Its unnamed narrator marries the wealthy Maxim de Winter and moves into Manderley, where she becomes increasingly haunted by the memory of Maxim's first wife, the titular Rebecca. Like Brontë's novel, du Maurier's story is concerned with obsessive relationships, but it leans harder into mystery and psychological manipulation, giving Rebecca a much clearer identity.

Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen (1813)

The Davenports Brings Everything That Makes This Classic Great But With A Much More Accessible Style

While it remains one of the most beloved novels ever written, the reputation of Pride and Prejudice makes its shortcomings easy to overlook. Jane Austen's wit and social observations are excellent, particularly in her examination of marriage, class, money, and the restricted choices available to women. However, the novel's deliberately restrained pacing and emphasis on social manners lead many to find it, in no uncertain terms, dull. Its romantic reputation overshadows the fact that much of its appeal comes from subtle dialogue and social observation rather than the sweeping romance of the many Pride and Prejudice movies out there.

Fast-forward over 200 years, and Krystal Marquis' The Davenports is now here to deliver a more contemporary and energetic take on many of those themes. Set in 1910s Chicago, the 2023 novel follows a wealthy Black family, the titular Davenports, and how the young women of the household navigate romance, family expectations, and social status. Like Austen, Marquis places marriage and class at the center of her characters' conflicts, but The Davenports expands the social context. It retains the appeal of Pride and Prejudice's ensemble romance while making its characters' non-romantic ambitions much more central to the story.

Oliver Twist By Charles Dickens (1838)

Fingersmith Takes Dickens’ Formula And Refines It Into Brilliance

Oliver Twist is one of Charles Dickens' most enduring novels, but its status as a literary classic does not make it an effortless read. Dickens' depiction of Victorian poverty, exploitation, and criminality remains interesting, but the writing style holds them back. The novel can be melodramatic, its social commentary can be blunt, and its narrative sometimes prioritizes Dickens' caricatured characters over psychological complexity. Oliver himself is also incredibly passive, making it hard to latch onto him as a narrative-anchoring protagonist.

This is where Sarah Waters' Fingersmith comes in. By now a respected thriller in its own right, the 2002 novel provides a darker, more intricate dive into Victorian crime, class divisions, poverty, and exploitation. The story follows Sue Trinder, an orphan in 19th-century London raised among criminals, whose life becomes entangled with a wealthy heiress and an elaborate scheme involving inheritance. Waters draws on many of the conventions associated with Dickensian fiction but gives them a distinctly modern psychological depth. Fingersmith ultimately delivers the grim Victorian atmosphere of Oliver Twist with a more complex plot and considerably more morally ambiguous characters, making it much more enjoyable to read than the literary classic that inspired it.